Steckbrief » bus for the New York Islanders in the off

WASHINGTON D.C. – Randy Carlyle, for one, would like to know where such an effort was hiding. Though they dropped their fourth consecutive game in the U.S. capital on Friday night – and 21st in 32 games since the start of November – the Maple Leafs finally played with the fight that had been mysteriously missing in recent days and, really, for the better part of a disappointing season. "Weve been begging, pleading, kicking, kissing, whatever we can do to try and find a way that we can play with some confidence," said Carlyle after a 3-2 loss to the Capitals. "This might be one of the better games weve played in a month. We showed desperation. We showed that we care [and] when we put our effort and our heart into it that there is more in that room than whats been displayed and thats whats been frustrating everybody – and theyre frustrated also." Still embarrassed from their second blowout loss in the past three games – a 6-1 pounding in Carolina just a night earlier – the Leafs at last competed with the necessary gumption and fire that was noticeably absent all week. Why it took so long to materialize and where it had been hiding was a "mind-boggling" and befuddling point for the Leafs head coach. His team was cleaner, crisper and a considerable contrast to the apparent mess that materialized against the Rangers and Hurricanes. A few mistakes and two unlucky bounces – both the Capitals game-tying and game-winning goals deflected off Toronto skates – ultimately saw a third period lead unravel, but there was, nonetheless, an air of cautious optimism afterward. "I think we played harder," said Dion Phaneuf, leading the team with 24 minutes. "No one likes to be embarrassed the way that we were." "We knew we needed it," David Clarkson added of the improved effort. "Weve got to find ways to compete like that every night. Compete. Compete. Win our battles and well be okay." It was the smallest of steps – they still lost for one thing – but a needed step no less for a team thats been light on optimism in the past two months. An unpredictable animal all year, what remains in question is how the Leafs respond when they host the Devils on Sunday night. Inconsistency has been the defining identity of the club so far. One good effort has only rarely translated into two. In fact, Toronto has won back-to-back games in regulation just once since the start of November. The reality of such a lengthy slide has seen them fall out of a playoff position for the first time all season in recent days, now 10th in the East with 47 points. "We need to start to churn some points for our hockey club to feel good about ourselves," said Carlyle, who felt his team was harder to play against, more physical and tighter defensively against the Capitals. "Theres not a lot of easy breathing taking place around our group right now. Thats the reality of it. But thats what happens when you dont have success." "Its not great when youre losing," Clarkson said. "But this is the part [of the season] that were going to have to rally together. Were going to have to find ways to get wins. I think if we play like we did tonight against every single team, I think well be fine." Five Points 1. Source of Trouble Carl Gunnarsson pointed to the Leafs inconsistency, night to night, period to period, shift to shift, as the source of a troubling first half. "Some nights the forecheck has been great and the day after, its been not as good," he said moments before Fridays game. "Its been just inconsistent all over. The only thing thats been good throughout the year, I think the goaltending has been great from both guys back there. They saved us in a bunch of games." Gunnarsson said the team could work well within its respective system, but failed to do so with any semblance of consistency. "When we do it well it works," he said. "So its just a matter of doing it every night, every shift, not only for every other night or 20, 40 minutes per game, its not enough. Its got to be every night and for 60 minutes." 2. The More Consistent Option in Goal Making his seventh start in the past eight games, Jonathan Bernier returned to the form that saw him gripping hold of the crease before a pair of losses earlier this week. The 25-year-old stopped 32 of 35 shots in defeat. Though he and his counterpart, James Reimer, have been equals for the better part of the season, Bernier has certainly proven the more consistent of the two, though Reimer has been dealt his fair share of bad hands, including Thursdays lackluster effort in Carolina. As the table below indicates, Berniers performance has fluctuated only slightly all season. Goaltender Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Bernier .933 .923 .932 .896 Reimer .949 .916 .909 .852 3. Gardiner Sitting for just the second time all season on Thursday night, Jake Gardiner was back in the Toronto lineup against the Capitals, paired with 19-year-old Morgan Rielly for the third time this season. "I thought that was one of Jakes best performances," Carlyle said of Gardiner, who played just under 20 minutes. "He moved the puck, he skated, he didnt turn it over, he made a lot of good plays. Thats what were looking for from him every night." Carlyle hadnt been happy with the 23-year-olds performance against the Rangers and Islanders, pulling him from the lineup in Carolina. "Thats the trials and tribulations of a young player," Carlyle continued. "We know Jake Gardiner has NHL-quality skills, but we believe that theres something there that takes him out of that after four or five games. Whatever that is weve got to find a way to correct that." Of note, Carlyle had Gardiner on the third pairing alongside Rielly, rather than the second grouping with Cody Franson where hes played the better part of the season with inconsistent success. 4. Opting for Optimism Rather than inflame the misery of a perilous slide on Friday morning, Carlyle opted to point out the positives of losses to the Hurricanes and Islanders. "[We] tried to focus on some of the things that were doing well in [Thursday] nights game and some of the games [recently]," said Carlyle after Fridays game. 5. End of a Cold Spell? James van Riemsdyk had his first multi-point outing in more than a month on Friday. Scoring for just the third time in the past 16 games, his 16th this season, while adding a helper on Phil Kessels 21st goal of the season, van Riemsdyk had a pair of points in the same game for the first time since Dec. 7. He sits second on the team in scoring with 33 points in 44 games. "Theres always going to be challenges throughout the year," the 24-year-old said, speaking generally about the team. "Its about how you respond to that. Theres going to be no sulking done by us, throwing a pity party or feeling sorry for ourselves. We know what we need to do. I think the effort tonight was a good response with how we kind of laid an egg [Thursday] night." Stats-Pack 4 – Goals in the past 19 games for James van Riemsdyk, who scored his 16th this season on Friday. 19:33 – Ice-time for Jake Gardiner against Washington. 11-16-5 – Leafs record since the start of November. 22 – Points in the past 32 games for Phil Kessel, who had 18 points in October alone. 6 – Fights this season for Colton Orr, who dueled with John Erskine on Friday. 12 – Points in the past 10 games for Tyler Bozak, who has 18 points in 22 games this season. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 21.7% (5th) PK: 4-4 Season: 77.5% (27th) Quote of the Night "Weve been begging, pleading, kicking, kissing, whatever we can do to try and find a way that we can play with some confidence." -Randy Carlyle, following the 3-2 defeat in Washington. Up Next The Leafs host the Devils in yet another Sunday night affair at the ACC. Allen Robinson Jersey . - PGA Tour rookie Tony Finau shot a 9-under 63 at Del Monte and had a two-stroke lead over Billy Andrade and Lee Janzen of the Champions Tour after Thursdays opening round of the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational. Chase Daniel Bears Jersey . He is nigh unstoppable against the leagues worst. The 31-year-old dangerman set up two goals and scored two himself as Toronto FC rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the slumping Houston Dynamo 4-2 on Saturday night. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authenti...ears_Jersey/.ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. Chase Daniel Jersey . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Cody Parkey Jersey .A caravan greeted the former Boston Red Sox pitcher at the airport and took him to a public park in Santo Domingo, where a crowd lined a 19-mile stretch of highway to catch a glimpse of him.Once at the park, Martinez went on stage accompanied by players David Ortiz and Robinson Cano as merengue music played and fireworks lit up the sky.BUFFALO, N.Y. - Columbus Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards wanted a fast start this time, and his team delivered.Everyones been talking about us getting off to slow starts, Richards said. Thats one thing were trying to guard against. We want to get off on the right foot here.Columbus started 2-5 and 2-5-1 the past two seasons, but showed no signs of rust as it dominated the Buffalo Sabres in a comprehensive 3-1 win to open the season Thursday night.We didnt have any passengers tonight, Richards said. It was a total team effort.Cam Atkinson scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play, and Artem Anisimov and Jack Skille also scored for the Blue Jackets, who went to the playoffs as an Eastern Conference wild card last season.You get all the kinks out in the preseason and thats where all the sloppy hockey comes, Atkinson said. You never know what to expect with the first game, especially when both sides have a lot of adrenaline.Zemgus Girgensons scored for Buffalo, and Jhonas Enroth made 37 saves.Columbus got 21 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. Atkinson snapped a 1-all tie with 7:15 remaining, working the puck back and forth with Ryan Johansen before beating Enroth.Johansen just ended a contentious and public training camp holdout by signing a three-year contract extension Monday, and played well despite the layoff.Im sure a lot of people and fans didnt know what to expect from him tonight and it was a typical Johansen that we all love, Atkinson said. He created a lot of space for me and (Nick Foligno) and we got a lot of scoring chances.Sabres owner Terry Pegula was in the building one day after being unanimously approved as the new owner of the NFLs Buffalo Bills.The Sabres had the worst record in the NHL by 14 points last season and didnt give the fans much offensive excitement.Head coach Ted Nolan wasnt happy.I didnt like our effort tonight, Nolan said. I think it was OK at best. I dont know what it was. I think guys really wanted to do it.Buffalos start was promising, but Bobrovsky stood firm. He made a strong right blocker save on Andre Benoit early in the first period and was forced to make a point-blank save on Chris Stewart moments later as the Sabres reeled off four straight shots.For his part, Enroth made a pair of in-close saves during the Blue Jackets first power play and benefited from a shot that hit the post.ddddddddddddBuffalos second overall draft pick, Sam Reinhart, was hit hard near the midway point of the first by Blue Jackets right wing Jared Boll, who soon found himself face-to-face with Mike Weber. Both took roughing penalties.Youre told what its like, but until you get that game experience you dont understand, Reinhart said of his first NHL game. Its certainly a little bit different from the preseason. I think I got better as the game went on and I felt my confidence get higher as the game passed.Scott Hartnell redirected a shot off the crossbar late in the first, and Enroth stopped Mark Letestu on a 1-on-1 before the period expired.Skille scored first at 13:21 of the second period. Skating down the right side, he took a snap shot that beat Enroth high, popping the lid off the goalies water bottle and sending liquid flying through the air behind the net.The goal was a relief for Skille, who left Columbus for the New York Islanders in the off-season but was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets on Sunday.Its good to be back in this room, back on this team, he said. Its unfortunate what happened with the Islanders. Id like to thank them for the opportunity, but Im glad to be back home and with this group.Girgensons countered just more than a minute later when he stickhandled his way through the Blue Jackets defence before flipping a puck past Bobrovsky.The Sabres earned their first power play when Fedor Tyutin took a hooking penalty at 9:09 of the third. That was interrupted by a hooking call to Brian Gionta, and Atkinson made the most of Columbus fourth power play by manoeuvring around Benoit and beating Enroth at 12:45.When they tied it up there I felt they had a little momentum, Johansen said. But we did a good job of weathering them and we just kept plugging away on our side and started taking over the game again.Anisimov capped the scoring on a soft wrist shot with just more than 2 minutes to play.NOTES: Only six current Sabres were on the opening-day roster two years ago. ... Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno was born in Buffalo and is the older brother of Sabres left wing Marcus Foligno ... The game was the first as Sabres captain for Gionta, a Rochester native. 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